Our good friends over at Paperless Cockpit, want to run an experiment. They want to have an iPad2 sent through rapid decompression testing and then share the test results, but they need your help to do it.

"There’s been a great deal of buzz lately about the iPad and iPad2 being “approved” by the FAA. While the FAA has granted EJM (and perhaps a few others) operational approval, this is only after the operators jump through several hurdles. One of the biggest hurdles EJM had to pass was proving the iPad (and subsequently the iPad2) could survive a rapid decompression event.

"Unfortunately, Jeppesen only shared the data with EJM, and PaperlessCockpit.com’s request for copies of that data have gone unanswered. Other operators have met with similar results when trying to get the documentation out of Jeppesen. Current EFB policy requires all certificated and operators of large and turbine powered aircraft (Part 91F) to test EFBs to DO-160 Rapid Decompression test standards before eliminating paper charts."

Paperless Cockpit wants to raise $2,500 to pay for an iPad2 and perform the DO-160 Rapid Decompression Testing. If you're interested in helping, head over to their site and make a donation via PayPal. Everyone who donates to the project will receive an electronic copy of the testing certification.

If you have question about the testing procedure or would like to volunteer your services, send an email to editor@paperlesscockpit.com.

We often get asked if there is a Mac version of Golden Eagle or ChartCase. The answer right now is no, sadly. But you can still run either program on a Mac using a virtual machine. Below is a quick guide on how to setup a virtual machine on your Mac to run Golden Eagle or ChartCase.